Adjustable brassiere



7, 1965 R. F. ANDERSON ADJUSTABLE BRASSIERE Filed Nov. 18, 1963 INVENTOR. Rana-R7 F A/YDfRJO/Y.

BY W. A

United States Patent 3,209,821 ADJUSTABLE BRASSIERE Robert F. Anderson, 825 Wisconsin Ave., Racine, Wis. Filed Nov. 18, 1963, Ser. No. 324,420 3 Claims. (Cl. 123-492) This invention relates to brassieres which are worn by women, and especially to a means of assuring comfort to the wearer of such garments and maintain a neat appearance, by providing an adjusting means to compensate for increases or decreases in the size of the bust.

Brassieres are presently made in cup or bust sizes designated as sizes A, B and C. When a woman purchases a brassiere she usually chooses the size that fits her at the time of the purchase. She may find, however, that after a time her bust measurement has increased or decreased so that she must obtain another brassiere of a larger or smaller size. She may also find that none of the sizes fit her properly because her present bust measurement falls intermediate the sizes available.

It is therefore, an object of this invention to provide a means of adjustment for a brassiere that permits conformity to the bust.

Another object is to provide a brassiere having a means of adjustment that can be manipulated while the garment is being worn, and while other garments are worn over it.

Another object is to provide a brassiere having a means of adjustment that presents a neat appearance and one that has sales appeal.

Another object is to provide a brassiere of one size that has adjustment facilities that will embrace a range of sizes, thus avoiding the necessity of having to purchase several in order to obtain a neat-fitting garment.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein an embodiment of the invention is shown. It is to be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the details disclosed, but includes all such variations and modifications as fall within the spirit of the invention.

Referring to the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary view of a brassiere embracing the invention, and being worn.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken at 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken at 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 1 shows a brassiere B comprising a front body portion having a pair of left and right bust cups 12 and 14 respectively, and a shoulder strap 16; two such straps being required but only one is shown. Shoulder strap 16 is provided with an adjusting buckle 13 secured to body 10 by a stitching 19, and need not be further described.

Body 10 extends upwardly to an apex as at 20, and a gusset 22 provides the means of attaching shoulder strap 16 to the body 10. An upper outer edge 24 of body 10, adjacent cup 12 slopes downwardly from gusset 22 and curves under the armpit as shown. An upper inner edge 26 also extends from gusset 22 and forms the upper margin of cup 12, sloping downwardly toward the middle of the body 10 and between cups 12 and 14.

An adjusting means 23 lies along the edge 24. A similar adjusting means 30 lies along the edge 26. Ad-

3,Z@,8Zl Patented Aug. 17, 1965 justing means, similar to means 23 and 30 are provided adjacent cup 14, but are not shown or described in that they merely differ from the last-mentioned means in that they relate to adjustment of right cup 14.

Adjusting means 28 comprise a fiat tubular portion of material 32, integral with body 10 and formed as in FIG. 1, by folding the material as shown and stitching it to the edge 24 of body 10 as at 34. FIG. 3 shows a section of portion 32 taken at 33 of FIG. 1. A tongue 36 extends along the edge 24, and anchor end 38 thereof being secured to body it) by stitching, leaving tongue 36 free of body 10 for the remainder of the tongue. Tongue 36 is passed freely through tubular portion 32 to a point beyond the end of the latter to a terminal end 40. A securing means, such as a buckle 42 of the well-known type is secured to body 16 by stitching as at 44, and in alignment with tongue 36. The latter is then passed through buckle 42 and extends beyond the latter so that end 40 can be gripped by the fingers when making an adjustment. Inasmuch as adjusting means 30 is similar in all details to adjusting means 28, no further description thereof is needed, except to say that tongue 46 is secured to body Ill, along edge 26 by stitching 4%, and which tongue passes through tubular portion 59 and buckle 52 to terminate in an end 54. Buckle 52 is secured to edge 26 by stitching 56.

When purchasing a brassiere embracing this invention, a woman will usually buy the largest size that she can wear consistent with comfort and appearance. When she determines that the fit is loose, end 49 of tongue 36 is grasped in the fingers and drawn through buckle 42 until the desired fit has been obtained. The same procedure is followed with adjusting means 30 by grasping end 54 of tongue 46, drawing the latter through buckle 52 until the desired fit has been obtained. The above adjustment is then followed with respect to bust cup 14.

The puckering 58 of body 10 along edges 24 and 26, because of the adjustments, will be evenly distributed and therefore not objectionable.

The above being a complete description of an illustrative embodiment of the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a brassiere having a body portion and a bust cup defined by a peripheral edge, in combination a means to adjust the length of said edge comprising a tongue extending freely along said edge and having one end thereof secured to said body edge, a buckle secured to said edge and spaced from said end and engaging said tongue, and a tubular portion integral with said edge and positioned intermediate said end and said buckle means, and freely surrounding said tongue.

2. In a brassiere comprising a body portion, and a bust cup forming the upper portion thereof, terminating in an apex and having diverging edges, in combination a means to adjust the lengths of each of said edges comprising a tongue freely extending along each of said edges, one end of each of said tongues secured to said body at said apex, a buckle secured to said body at each of said edges and spaced from said apex, and a tubular portion secured to said body at said edges intermediate said apex and said buckles, said tongues slidably inserted through said tubular portions and secured in said buckles.

3. In a brassiere comprising a body having an edge,

in combination means to adjust the length of said edge, References Cited by the Examiner comprising a tongue freely extending along said edge, UNITED STATES PATENTS one end of said tongue having an anchor end secured to said body, a buckle secured to said body at said edge 18741868 8/32 B1553 128 491 and spaced from said anchor end, and a tubular portion 5 2,313,811 3/43 D 128*492 secured to said body at said edge at a position inter- 2,634,419 4/53 F1011 128492 mediate said anchor end and said buckle, said tongue being slidably inserted in said tubular portion and se- DELBERT LOWE P'lmmy Emmme" cured in said buckle. ADELE M. EAGER, Examiner. 

1. IN A BRASSIERE HAVING A BODY PORTION AND A BUST CUP DEFINED BY A PERIPHERAL EDGE, IN COMBINATION A MEANS TO ADJUST THE LENGTH OF SAID EDGE COMPRISING A TONGUE EXTENDING FREELY ALONG SAID EDGE AND HAVING ONE END THEREOF SECURED TO SAID BODY EDGE, A BUCKLE SECURED TO SAID EDGE AND SPACED FROM SAID END AND ENGAGING SAID TONGUE, AND A TUBULAR PORTION INTEGRAL WITH SAID EDGE AND POSITIONED INTERMEDIATE SAID END AND SAID BUCKLE MEANS, AND FREELY SURROUNDING SAID TONGUE. 